Random Acts
by Educate the Masses
Summary: How would Beckett respond if the case she caught was just like her mother’s? What if the only conclusion is a random act of violence?
1. Chapter 1

**Random Acts**

**Chapter 1**

It was the first Sunday morning in December. Beckett had the day off and she was taking it easy. She awoke at 6:30 a.m.—her normal time, but she padded to the kitchen in her socks and robe and grabbed a cup of coffee, snatched the paper from the threshold of her door and went back to bed. Sipping her coffee from her favorite mug and reading the paper on Sunday mornings was a tribute to her mother. It had been Johanna Beckett's favorite way to spend a Sunday morning, and Kate resumed the tradition whenever possible. Sometimes she sat in the living room, but today it was cold. Kate snuggled into the blue and brown bed linens and started to devour the Sunday New York Times. She only subscribed to the Sunday paper. It usually took her all week to get through it, and that was only when she wasn't swamped with work.

She had just started to drift off again when her cell phone rang. Yawning, she looked at the caller ID. It was the Captain.

"Beckett."

"Detective Beckett, so sorry to disturb your Sunday morning, but we have a body."

"Sir, I'm off today. Can't someone else pick it up?"

"I realize that you're off, but I think you might want to catch this one. I could be wrong; but this one has your name all over it." Montgomery sounded somber when he said it.

Kate's curiosity piqued. "Give me an address." She was ready with pen and paper.

"460 East 79th off of Park. The forty-second floor. Apartment 4207. Parish is on her way. I'll call Castle and meet you there."

_He'll meet me there? What is this?_ "Got it. I'll be there in thirty." She hung up with him and slid out of bed. Looking back at the paper strewn across her bed, she sensed that their relationship was over, but held off on throwing it away. Just in case.

Kate learned early in this business that you showered when you got home, so you didn't have to debate whether or not you were going to take one when trying to get to a crime scene. She just had to wash her face, brush her teeth, put make-up on and get dressed. Kate chose jeans, boots and a taupe sweater today; the weatherman said sleet and snow this afternoon so she might as well be prepared. Pouring the rest of the coffee into a travel mug and grabbing a Snickers bar out of the freezer, Kate snagged her black leather jacket and cadet blue scarf out of the closet and headed out to the crime scene of what would turn out to be one of her most memorable cases.

Twenty minutes later she stepped out of the car, greeted by a dapper looking Richard Castle. _How does he do that?_ _How does he look like he stepped out of GQ on a moments notice?_ Her attraction to Castle was starting to annoy her. He was always invading her personal space and damn if she didn't return the favor.

"Good morning, Detective Beckett. How are we this brisk December morning?" He brushed up against her as they walked side by side into the building.

"Cold. Castle. I'm cold…and curious about this case. Shall we go up?" He nodded and pushed the call button for the elevator.

"Did the Captain tell you anything?" Castle whispered to her leaning too close to her face. Beckett was about to be annoyed if Castle knew more about the case than she did.

"Just that I'd want to catch this one. Did he tell you anything?" She turned her face towards him, realizing too late that he was closer than she thought. His face was inches from hers and both of them paused. Kate couldn't help but glance at his lips, and then she broke the spell by turning away. _It is way too early for this._

"Only that you would want this one and I would want to help."

"Then, let's go."

On the elevator ride up Castle questioned her about her morning. "What does Kate Beckett do on Sunday mornings when there is no work to be done?" He got in her face. "Did you have to kick someone out of your bed this morning to come here?"

She rolled her eyes. "Castle, your mind really should try to vacation out of the gutter once in a while. I read the paper and drink coffee like normal people."

"With or without company?"

"Depends on the company."

"And this morning?"

Kate grinned. His jealousy was cute and she couldn't help but encourage it. She stepped close to him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yes." He leaned closer in. She backed off. No way in a building full of cops was she going to be caught like that in an elevator with Richard Castle.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Kate strode out towards the apartment with Castle on her heels. Captain Montgomery met her at the door.

"Captain? What do we have?"

"Eliza Walker, 37, partner at Bailey and Weinberg. Stabbed seven times in the neck and abdomen in her bed last night."

"Any sign of forced entry?" Kate was trying to act normal, but so far there was nothing particularly intriguing about this case. The captain wouldn't have led her on. Something was coming.

"No. No sign of forced entry. And the victim was killed in her sleep."

"Any witnesses? Family?" She saw a look flash on his face. An apology?

"Husband, Dr. Henry Masters, a chemical engineering professor at Columbia University. One daughter, Caroline Masters, thirteen. They were away at a horse show in Connecticut. Came home early this morning. Dad dropped the daughter off at the front door, and went around to the garage to park the car. The daughter found her. Called 9-1-1."

_Oh My God._ Kate's face must have shown her feelings, because Montgomery picked up on them immediately. So did Castle. "Detective, are you going to be okay with this case? Say the word and I throw it to someone else."

"Yes sir. I'll be fine. Is Lanie here yet? I need to see the body. What are Esposito and Ryan doing?"

"She's processing now. Straight in to the living room, take the hall to the right. The Master bedroom is the last door on the left. Ryan and Esposito are speaking with the husband and daughter."

"Thank you, sir."

Kate entered the apartment with Castle on her heels. He had been unusually quiet. So much so that she glanced back at him to make sure he was following. His eyes met hers and she heard the silent question in them. _You okay?_ They had been working together for less than a year and he knew her so well. She gave him a slight nod and proceeded towards the living room.

There she saw Esposito and Ryan sitting in chairs in front of a man who looked to be almost forty, handsome with dark hair and dark eyes, and a teenage girl next to him who was stunningly beautiful with long brown hair and chocolate eyes now rimmed with red. They were sitting on a caramel colored leather couch in a well decorated but inviting living room. Beckett and Castle also noticed that the daughter was covered in blood; it was on her hands, sweater, jeans and her chin. It was her, the daughter. That's what the captain meant. _She _was going to make this a difficult case for Kate. _She _was also going to be the driving force behind the hunt for the killer.

Kate could smell the blood before she even walked into the bedroom. It looked like a blood bath had occurred there. Blood red popped against the ivory and blue bedding. The warm cherry dresser and chest of drawers in the room looked untouched, but the king-sized bed, the bedside table and anything within five feet of the bed had blood on it.

The petite woman's body was uncovered on the bed. It was impossible to tell what color her nightgown had been. Now it was a deep crimson. She looked young for her thirty-seven years. The daughter had her mother's face, but it was obvious she had gotten her coloring from her father. Eliza's hair looked to be dark blond and her eyes were blue and still staring in horror.

Lanie was leaning over the body. "What do you have Lanie?" Kate asked softly. The CSU techs were making their way around the room, picking up evidence, taking pictures, and gathering prints. Kate and Castle approached the body, but Castle slowed the closer they got to the bed. The smell of the blood was overwhelming.

"Thirty-seven year old female stabbed repeatedly with probably a hunting knife. She was asleep when the attack started. My preliminary time of death is between one and three this morning. I'm getting ready to take her to the morgue. I told Montgomery she was stabbed seven times, but I'm thinking more now. Once I get her cleaned up I'll be able to tell for sure."

"This. Guy. Hated. Her." Castle murmured.

Kate and Lanie looked over at him. His face was serious and he looked very pale. "This was a crime of passion. And he passionately hated her. He worked furiously to get this done." Castle glanced toward the ceiling.

Kate and Lanie looked up as well. The CSUs stopped and looked to the ceiling. They all would have noticed it eventually, but it was horrifying just the same. There were string patterns on the ceiling revealing that the killer had stabbed her so fast with so much force that each time he pulled back the weapon, he flung blood in streaks on the ceiling.

"Damn." Lanie said. "That poor girl. Coming in here to see her mom and finding this."

A digital noise pinged from the bedside table. "Her phone." Lanie said. "It's been making noise since I got here. I haven't touched it. I didn't know if you want CSU to take it, or if you want it now. It has quite a bit of blood on it. Looks like she's getting text messages."

"Actually it's reminders." The young female voice came from the doorway.

Kate, Castle and Lanie turned toward the voice. Caroline Masters stood there, covered in her mother's blood, taking in the scene like it was an everyday occurrence. Kate removed her gloves as did Castle and they walked toward the girl. "Reminders for what?" Castle asked, as he gently guided her out of the room. Kate was amazed at the subtlety of his actions. Caroline's eyes stayed glued to her mother for as long as they could. When they were out of sight of the room, she finally answered.

"She had reminders for everything. For my events and appointments, for my father's lectures, briefs that were due, parties to go to, gifts to buy, types of events that were important to her. I'll bet one of those reminders was to make thumbprint cookies. I needed them for my book club after school tomorrow." The girl paused and looked confused. "Will I go to school tomorrow? What do I do? What am I supposed to say to people?" She started to sob and collapse at the same time. Rick held on to her as they moved her towards her room.

"Oh my God." She sobbed. "Who did this? She's my mom! Why would someone do this? She wouldn't hurt anyone. She was asleep! She was pregnant." Kate stopped and her eyes widened. Something she didn't know. "It doesn't make any sense. No!" Caroline turned around quickly and Castle lost his grip on her. She ran back to her mother's room. "It can't be her! There has to be a mistake!" She burst into the room just as Lanie was zipping up the body bag containing Eliza Walker.

"Oh!" Caroline went to her mom's body. She laid her head on her mother's chest and cried. "I don't want you to go, Mom. I don't know how to do this myself."

Kate went to Caroline and put her arms around the girl. "Come on, Sweetie. Let's get you cleaned up." The commotion attracted Esposito, Ryan and Henry Masters. The girl's father was clearly devastated and his daughter's outburst just broke his heart. As Kate led the girl out of the room for the second time, Caroline uttered, "I think I'm going to be sick." She bolted loose from Beckett's hold and ran into her own room. Beckett and Castle followed and found the girl throwing up in her bathroom. Caroline leaned back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling.

"My dad dropped me off in front of the building because I was so excited. I won the horse show. I ran up to show her my trophy. I couldn't tell her last night, because the show ran so late. The last time I talked to her was right before my last event. She told me how proud she was of me. She said 'I love you, Baby Girl.' And all I could say back was 'rubber and glue.' I was too embarrassed to say 'I love you' in front of the other girls."

"Rubber and glue?" Castle asked.

She sniffed. "You know the saying, 'I'm rubber, you're glue whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.' That became our little saying. When I was little and I'd call her, if she was in a meeting and I said 'I love you,' she would say 'rubber and glue.' It was code for 'I love you back.'" Caroline smiled. Then her face crumpled again.

"I came into her bedroom and it was dark and I knew it smelled funny, but I just didn't think. We got home so early and she's been so tired lately, so I figured she was still asleep. I called to her. When she didn't answer I turned on the bedside lamp. My first thought was CPR. I need to save her and the baby. And when I tried to feel for a pulse, her neck…" Castle closed his eyes. "All I could do is call 9-1-1. Then my dad came in and he fainted when he saw all of the…the blood." Caroline shook her head as if to clear it. "I need to get back to him. He needs me." The words hit home for Beckett as she remembered her father's devastation. Caroline stood up and turned on the water. Grabbing a toothbrush and toothpaste she started to brush her teeth; she glanced in the mirror and froze. "Oh my God!"

The girl instantly started to disrobe. She couldn't get her mother's blood off of her fast enough. She pulled her sweater over her head. As soon as Castle realized what she was doing he headed out the bathroom door. "I'm going to look for some fresh clothes for her." He closed the door behind him. Kate gathered up her clothes and stacked them together. Caroline was standing there in her underwear and socks, the only items of clothing that were free of her mother's blood. She crossed her arms over her bare chest. She still had blood on her stomach, chest and legs where it had soaked through her sweater, bra and jeans. Of course it was also still on her hands. She nervously looked at Kate.

"Can I shower here?"

"Of course."

"Can you get me some clothes?"

"I can. Do you want…your dad?"

"No!" She looked mortified, "He can't see me like this! It would kill him."

"Okay." Kate smiled sadly at her. "I'll get you some clothes. Go ahead and shower. I want you to know I have to take these clothes to the lab. They need to ignore those fibers."

Caroline nodded. "I'm sorry. Did I mess things up?"

Kate stepped closer to her. "You did absolutely nothing wrong. Nothing is messed up. Don't worry."

"Thank you." She sniffed.

Kate left the bathroom and saw Castle sitting on the edge of the daybed holding a pair of jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. Kate sat down next to him. She looked around the room. It was painted a light sage green. The bedding was a combination of pink and green abstract flowers and stripes. The room was definitely feminine, but there were touches of "toughness" that Kate noticed. There were trophies for horseback riding, swimming, and soccer. There were many pictures showing the girl in various sports on her dresser and bookshelves. The bookshelves were also packed with books of all kinds. She had Twilight next to Harry Potter, Murder on the Orient Express, Animal Farm, Ordinary People, Fahrenheit 451, the Bible and the Koran, Dr. Who, and Little Women. She was obviously an intelligent young lady with a love of books. The similarities between them unnerved Kate.

"You okay?" Beckett asked Castle. They can hear the water streaming from the shower in the other room.

"Yeah, it's just…this case hits so close to home. I can imagine Alexis in the very same situation with the same response, and it makes me angry. And then there's you…"

"I'll be fine." She said almost too quickly. Beckett went to the chest of drawers to retrieve the items that Castle either didn't think about of didn't feel comfortable getting.

"Well, I'm glad you will. I don't know if I'll ever be the same. That is probably the worst thing I've ever seen." He frowned, and Kate saw the concerned father in him warring with his objectivity.

"The family being here makes it worse. You have to cope with processing a scene and dealing with their emotions at the same time. The fact that she discovered her mother, that's enough to make this case horrific." They heard Caroline crying in the shower.

"Do you need to go in there?" It made Castle uncomfortable to hear her cry.

"No. This is the beginning." Esposito and Ryan walked quietly into the room while Beckett talked. "No one will be able to comfort her enough to make the pain go away. It will take time. And even as young as she is, she's going to have to make her peace with it the best way she can. That starts with recognizing the loss. It starts with crying."

They all knew that Beckett spoke from experience. In this case, she understood exactly what this girl was feeling, because she had been there herself, in some ways Kate was still working through it. "The one thing I can do to help her is give her closure. To find the bastard that did this and make sure he gets what he deserves."

Beckett turned to Esposito and Ryan, "Did the husband give you anything?"

Esposito recounted his conversation to them. "Not much. He talked with her last night. He said everything was normal, fine. They talked about the horse show and leaving early this morning. He said that she had some work to do today. Her paralegal was going to come by at some point and pick up some case related documents to file with the court in the morning. Caroline was exhausted last night, but the husband said they both wanted to come home. Mrs. Walker convinced him to stay and come home early this morning.

"He said they were happy. Work was going well for both of them. He couldn't think of any enemies. Money was fine. I asked him to take a look around and see if anything was missing. The only thing he commented about was her phone. I told him we took that.

"He also mentioned that she was pregnant."

"The daughter mentioned that too." Beckett said quietly.

"Apparently, she was about 14 weeks along. She was just coming out of the morning sickness which is why she stayed behind instead of going with them to the horse show. The pregnancy was a surprise. Masters said they were excited, but afraid to get their hopes up."

Beckett shook her head to move on to the next thought. "Okay, has any family been contacted? They can't stay here."

"Mr. Masters is packing a bag now with a uniform. As soon as the daughter gets done, they'll take them to the precinct. Ben Masters, the husband's brother, is driving down from Connecticut to pick them up." Ryan answered.

The bathroom door opened and Caroline appeared wrapped in a pink fluffy bathrobe. She looked at the detectives. "I need some clothes." Kate added the clothes in Castle's hands to the ones she had picked out and handed them to Caroline. Ryan and Esposito left, but Castle stayed with Beckett.

"I hope these are okay."

Caroline nodded. "They're fine." She stood there in the robe, holding her clothes. Her brow furrowed and she scrunched up her mouth. They could see in her eyes that she had questions. "What's next?"

"You get dressed, pack a bag and you'll go stay with your uncle for a while."

"How do we find who did this?" Caroline asked. "How are you going to find him? Won't you need our help?"

"Caroline, this is my job. I promise you I'll find him. I won't give up. I swear to you that I will do _everything_ in my power to find who did this and bring them to justice. _Your_ job is to be thirteen; to live your life. That is what your mother would want."

"You're right." Caroline smiled weakly. "She's all about life, my mom. 'Live it to the fullest,' she'd say. You know that song 'Live Like We're Dying?'"

Castle nodded, but Beckett shook her head. Some things just came with having a teenage daughter. Beckett was more into alternative music, jazz, and some R&B.

"My mom and I were listening to the radio in the car when it came on. She liked it so much; she made it her ring tone."

Caroline turned back towards the bathroom. As she closed the door, she said, more to herself than anyone else, "It just doesn't make sense. It doesn't feel real."

Kate Beckett walked to the window. It had started snowing. _December. She has to go through Christmas right after this? Surreal, indeed._ Kate looked at her watch. It was almost eleven in the morning. Looking out the window, she whispered, "I'm coming for you, you son of a bitch."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The drive back to the precinct was tense. Castle didn't know what to say. This case was obviously drawing a parallel to Beckett's mother's case. A pretty close parallel if you asked him. Yes, Kate had been older when her mother was killed, but he thought that difference was minor. Either way was devastating. Watching Caroline Masters pack a bag, throwing in pictures of her and her mother, basically packing like she didn't think she would come back, twisted a knot in his gut. Johanna Beckett wasn't murdered in her home; Kate and her father stayed there. Castle seriously doubted that Henry or Caroline Masters would ever spend another night in that apartment.

Castle looked over at Beckett. She glanced at him. "What?"

"Where do we start with this one?"

"The same place we always do. I'll go set up the board. Lanie will hopefully be done with the autopsy pretty soon. Then we'll start with the list of people who had access to the apartment. Go through her appointment book and work backwards through her life. Something will give. Like you said. This was a crime of passion. The killer knew her. He had to."

"What if he didn't know her? What if he was just a psychopath? What if he was a she?"

"Profiling would tell us it's a he. It's not 100%, but you can probably take it to the bank. Psychopath is possible, but he still got into her apartment without breaking in which means he had the code to the keypad, or he was already in when she went to sleep."

"You think she was having an affair?"

"Anything is possible at this point. I wouldn't rule it out."

"Hmmm. I don't think she had an affair. Doesn't feel right. Stalker maybe. Was it me or did she look younger than thirty-seven? I mean, that's pretty young anyway to be a partner at a prestigious law firm like Bailey/Weinberg. They just do Corporate, Tax and Estate right? Shouldn't have clients that would kill like this."

"I've said it before, Castle; everyone looks like a killer to me. A stalker is possible. You're right about her looking young. Makes me anxious to see what Lanie finds. We'll eventually get to her client list. But I'm not sure what we'll find there."

They got to the precinct and Kate found that Esposito and Ryan had already started the murder board. A picture of Eliza Walker was on the left of the board along with pictures of Henry and Caroline Masters.

Kate studied the board. "How long were they married?"

"Fifteen years this past May." Esposito responded. "They married after her first year of law school just after he finished his PhD."

"Who are these people?" Castle wondered. "She finished her first year of law school at 22? He finished his dissertation at 24? Einstein's grandchildren?"

Ryan chimed in, "And this wasn't Ithaca State we're talking about. Harvard Law and MIT aren't the easiest schools to get into. These are brilliant people. The daughter must be bright too. She's in the ninth grade at some exclusive all-girls school here in the city."

"Oooh. Bramley Prep. The only private school in Manhattan that I wasn't expelled from. I did kicked out once, but only because I was caught naked with the captain of the basketball team in the basement." Castle reminisced. "Molly Lassiter. Wow. What a memory. She was like 5'10" with legs that went on forever. She was a grade ahead of me. Showed me how it was done."

Beckett stared at him slightly shaking her head. He caught her eye and waggled his eyebrows at her causing her to roll her eyes.

"Aww, come on Beckett. You're telling me you didn't have any encounters in high school?"

"I was a late bloomer, Castle. Didn't have my first boyfriend until my senior year. Most of my 'encounters' took place in college."

"Most, but not all. The high school boyfriend never got lucky?" Ryan added.

"Sorry boys, I don't kiss and tell. Even twelve years later."

"I wasn't talking about kissing, Kate." Castle stated.

"He must have thought he hit the jackpot, dating a model and all." Ryan quipped. Beckett's head spun around. Esposito threw a pen at him.

"She's going to kill you, man." He whispered.

"Model?" Castle didn't miss much. "You were a model?" He looked at Beckett.

"Don't get all excited, Castle. It was a summer job. Not nearly as glamorous as it sounds." Kate shot daggers at Ryan with her eyes.

"I want pictures." Castle looked to Ryan who mouthed "later" to him. Kate was getting pretty uncomfortable now. Her phone rang just in time.

"Beckett."

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I'm finished with the autopsy on Eliza Walker whenever you're ready. Also I've cleaned up her phone for you and it still works. Looks like she kept her calendar on it. Thought you might want it." Parish informed.

"Thanks. I'll be right down."

"Just you? What happened to Writer Boy?"

"He's about to show up on your slab. Along with Ryan. I'll be arrested for a double homicide before the day is over." Castle and Ryan looked over at her with Cheshire cat grins.

"Oh, Funny girl. You know you can't kill Castle. Not until you've had some fun with him at least."

"Lanie, don't go there." Kate blushed and Castle knew something was up. "We'll be right down."

On the way to the morgue, Castle started in again. "Where was Dr. Parish going?"

"Huh?" Kate looked genuinely confused.

"You said, 'Lanie, don't go there.' Where was she going?"

Kate blushed again. "None of your business, Castle."

"Okay." Castle changed gears, "So, a model, huh? Your boyfriend really must have thought he hit the jackpot."

"I don't think he really even knew. Not many people did. I was tall and really skinny, so I could do the job and I thought it would be better than waitressing. My mom was really glad it was only one summer. She didn't like it."

That steered them back towards the case. Castle shifted gears again. "You know I over heard the husband and his brother talking when he got here. The brother was really broken up too. They called her 'Liza.' They seem like really good people."

"Well, Esposito and Ryan checked out the husband's alibi and it holds. Not a big surprise there. Ryan also talked to the neighbors who were shocked. Said that she was the nicest person. Always polite. Always smiling. Eliza Walker never forgot a birthday. She brought coffee cakes during the holidays. They never heard her utter a curse word and never heard any fights."

"Liza sounds like a virtual saint so far. Unusual for a lawyer." Castle and Beckett gowned up and walked into the morgue.

"Mr. Castle," Lanie greeted, "Glad to see you're still breathing."

"Beckett won't kill me; she wants me too badly."

Lanie shot Beckett a look. Beckett shook her head slightly and said, "In your dreams, Castle."

"You got that right." He quipped back. "So Dr. Parish, do tell. What happened to Liza?"

Dr. Parish walked them over to the table where Eliza Parish was sporting the classic Y incision. She pulled the sheet down revealing all of the stab wounds from her neck down to her belly button.

"Oh my God." Castle remarked. "What the hell? How many stab wounds are there?"

"Eleven." Lanie remarked. "The first one was here." She said pointing to the left side of the neck. "And it was fatal. He went in at an angle, slicing the carotid, cutting into the trachea and esophagus and nicking the spine."

"So he was right-handed." Castle noted.

Lanie was impressed. She nodded at him. "Exactly. The rest of the wounds were pure mutilation. Three more wounds to the neck and seven to the chest and abdomen. I miss counted at the crime scene because two of the wounds overlap in the neck and there are several close together on the abdomen. I believe he was making sure he hit the aorta, but it was, if you pardon the term, overkill."

"Can you tell us anything else about her assailant?" Beckett asked.

"I believe it was a man. He was approximately six feet tall."

"How can you tell?" Castle asked.

"The killer straddled her as he struck her with the knife on the first blow. There is fine spray due to the force of the blood through the carotid and the air coming from the trachea. I don't have an exact height, but I'm estimating about six feet from the trajectory of the spray and how much our killer blocked. I really don't know how he got out of there without being noticed. He must have been covered in blood."

"Anything unusual about our vic?" Kate was maintaining her cool, but inside she was raging.

"I'm assuming you know she was pregnant." Kate nodded. Lanie continued. "Fourteen weeks. A boy. I took DNA just in case we end up having to look at paternity. There was no sign of sexual assault, but evidence that she had sex in the last 48 hours. Stomach contents were scant. Looked like she might have had cherry ice cream before she went to bed. She suffered from asthma and allergies. Had Singulair in her system, otherwise the tox screen was clean. She had black fibers under her fingernails which possibly came from our assailant." Lanie reached behind her and grabbed a baggie containing a platinum wedding band with three small diamonds inlaid, a brilliant cut one carat diamond in a platinum setting, a diamond solitaire pendant and two diamond stud earrings. "This was all of the jewelry she was wearing." Kate looked at the baggie and immediately thought of Caroline.

"Here is her phone." Lanie gave that to Kate as well. "It's clean and I dusted for prints, but I only found hers. I turned it off for cleaning, but I checked and it still works."

Kate looked at the iPhone. She hoped it held a clue, but deep down she sensed it was a dead end. She just shook her head. "I need to go back to that apartment. I need to know who she was. None of this makes sense." Castle nodded. Since the family was there when the police got there, it was hard for them to look around properly. Especially with the daughter, Caroline, moving about the apartment and watching their every move. Kate needed to go back when it was quiet and spend some time there.

"Lanie, can you check around in the ME records and see if there is anything similar to tie with this?" Kate was thinking of her mother's case and the information that Castle found. She wouldn't make that mistake on this one, and she could trust Lanie. Neither Castle nor Lanie missed the connection, and it gave Castle the tiniest bit of satisfaction that he could possibly help the case.

Back in the car, Castle was quiet. It was very obvious Kate was preoccupied with the case. He couldn't keep his mind off of it either. Absolutely nothing stood out as a motive or suspect. He was hoping Lanie found something that might provide a link. What really didn't make sense was that the crime scene reeked of "crime of passion." The only thing missing was hard evidence. No fingerprints. No hair. Only the fibers from underneath Eliza's fingernails. Would a professional killer disguise a murder as a crime a passion? _And then we're back to motive. _"Motive. No motive."

"What?"

"I keep thinking about this. I go round and round, but every time I come back around to there's no apparent motive for this. Maybe we'll find something at the apartment."

"Yeah. Hope so." Beckett's brow wrinkled. If she wasn't driving she'd be chewing her nails. There was something about this case that made her nervous. It was like her mother's, but like Castle says, "There's always a story." This was not going to be classified as a "random act of violence." She was going to solve it. Caroline was going to have closure. _Why does she get closure but I don't? Because I'm the only one standing in the way. Maybe I just don't want to give Castle the satisfaction. Really? That's it? Is that who I've become? No, that's not it._

"I gave Ryan the phone. Hopefully he can trace her week. Check her emails, texts. See who she was in contact with. Hopefully that will open things up. Also, I need to talk to the husband. See if they had sex in the last 48 hours."

"Always comes back to sex with you Detective."

Her eyes rolled, but she was having a difficult time fighting the smile. "What can I say, Castle, you must be rubbing off on me."

"Oh, there are so many ways to respond to that one…"

"Keep them to yourself." Kate pulled the car into the underground garage that was attached to the apartment building. No sense leaving the car out in the weather. It was still snowing, but it was supposed to turn to sleet.

They got out of the car and went straight to the elevators. Using the passcode given to Beckett by the building manager, they went right up to the 42nd floor. Walking to the door of 4207, Beckett froze. "Where's the police tape? What's going on?"

Castle looked around. "You sure we're on the right floor? The whole floor looks different."

"Yeah. 4207. But you're right." Kate walked to the end of the hallway where there was a window. "We're in the wrong building. Damn twin buildings. Must not have been paying attention to the elevator."

They hopped back on the elevator and rode back down to the garage. "I know you like the way I smell, but if you want to be trapped in a small room with me, really all you have to do is ask." Castle jibed. He couldn't help himself today. The mood about this case was so oppressive his subconscious kept prompting him to lighten things up.

Kate's impulses got the better of her. As they stepped off the elevator, she leaned in closer to Castle, putting her nose really close to his collar. She inhaled deeply and was obvious about it. Stepping back she said "That should hold me until we get to the other elevator." Castle was speechless as Kate walked away. And they rode up the elevator in silence.

Bypassing the police tape, they entered the apartment with a totally different attitude. The goal was to find out whom Eliza Walker was and what possible motive could someone have to viciously murder her. Beckett and Castle gloved up and started walking around. This is where Castle was a natural. Snooping was one of his favorite pastimes. The foyer was relatively empty. All it said to them was "class." A Lalique vase was sitting on a small chest. There was an interesting piece of artwork that was framed. Upon closer inspection they could see it was created by Caroline Masters two years earlier.

"A forty thousand dollar vase with a child's rendition of a Monet. That says class and family." To the left of the foyer was a dining room. It was classy and antique, with interesting art on the walls and a festive centerpiece on the table. It looks like Eliza Walker was just starting to decorate for the holidays. They walked through to the kitchen. This room looked lived in.

It was very sleek and professional looking. The kitchen was well stocked with food, spices, pots, pans, and appliances. On the counter was a Tupperware container. Castle couldn't contain his curiosity, He opened the lid. "Jackpot!" Thirty little cookies with walnuts and oval depressions in them. Castle took one and popped it into his mouth, "Mmmmm."

"Castle! What the hell are you doing?"

"What?" He spoke around the cookie in his mouth. "I'm hungry and they're really good." He continued to chew and then swallow. "I don't know what they are, but very yummy. Want one?" He offered the container to her.

"No, I don't want one. And they're Jam Thumbprints without the jam. Caroline was right. Her mom had made them for her class book club. This woman was Martha Stewart and a savvy lawyer. Don't eat any more cookies Castle. This is a crime scene remember?"

"Aww. Fine. But we are getting food when we leave. What did you eat today?" A look crossed her face. "You haven't eaten anything have you?"

"I guess coffee doesn't count."

"No! Coffee doesn't count."

"I have a frozen Snickers bar in the car. I meant to eat it on the way over this morning, but I forgot to."

"A frozen Snickers bar? Really, Detective, you are smarter than that." He scolded. "You need to take better care of yourself. Don't make me show you how."

Kate turned and looked at him. She couldn't read his voice and tried reading his face. He didn't sound teasing; he sounded like he cared. The look on his face was not any easier to read. She was afraid she was seeing what she wanted to see instead of how he actually felt. She shook her head as if to clear her mind and turned back to her observations. There was a cork board and a dry erase board on the wall behind the small kitchen table. A big desk calendar hung next to the cork board. Kate walked over and studied it. It only went back five days because it was only December 6th. November was gone.

The horse show was on the calendar as well as the fact that only Henry and Caroline were going. She could see concerts, soccer games and a Christmas play for Caroline. They had family plans to see the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, The Nutcracker and Handel's Messiah as part of their holiday festivities. There was a party planned for one Saturday evening in two weeks, a day after her 16 week doctor's appointment. Castle came up and stood next to her.

"Wow. It's as normal as normal can be. Maybe her personal calendar will tell us more."

"I also need to see her doctor. See if he can shed some light on how she felt about the pregnancy." Castle looked at her quizzically. "If she was having an affair, maybe she was apprehensive." He nodded.

They moved on to the living room, which struck them as "lived in" like the kitchen. Here there were lots of shelves with DVDs and Blu-ray discs, many books (a few of Castle's), and many, many photographs. They were family photos mostly, happy moments between the three of them. They had traveled around the world it seemed. There were pictures of them in Beijing during the Olympics, in Australia on the bridge in Sydney, on safari in Africa, and in front of Mayan ruins. "They certainly made a lot of memories. At least she'll have those." Kate murmured. She squatted down and opened one of the cabinets under the shelves. It was full of scrapbooks and photo albums. It was very clear that Henry and Eliza loved Caroline very much. Their lives seemed centered around her.

Walking down the hallway towards the bedrooms, they stopped in a room to the right. The study. There was a spot where the computer was, but it was gone. CSU took the CPU and the Mac and the laptop that was Eliza's. Kate sat down at the only desk in the room. Looking at the bookshelves, she determined that they shared it. There were law books and chemistry books and engineering books. And there were diplomas. She got her Bachelors degree from UVA and her law degree from Harvard. He got his Bachelors from UVA as well and his PhD from MIT. "She was the editor of the Harvard Law Review, the same year the Caroline was born. This woman was brilliant. Holy Cow." Castle remarked.

There wasn't anything in the study that was remarkable. The only reason Kate came up with for killing Eliza was pure jealousy. She was beautiful, had a beautiful family, had money and she was incredibly bright. There were three more rooms off the hallway before the master: Caroline's room, a guest room and a bathroom. They had already looked around Caroline's room and the other two were of no interest. Castle and Beckett headed for the master.

As they walked in, the smell hit them with brute force. Kate put the sleeve of her sweater over her mouth and Castle grabbed the neckline of his sweater and pulled it over his mouth. With the amount of blood that was shed, even though CSU took the bedding with them, with the amount that remained on the floor, walls and ceiling the room still reeked of decomposing blood. Kate went through the bedroom while Castle went to the bathroom and closet. Looking through the bedside table, dresser and chest of drawers everything seemed normal to Kate. Henry and Eliza had classic and expensive taste in clothing. There were lots of pictures around the bedroom of the couple and a few of Caroline. This was clearly a sanctuary for them. There was no television in the room, but there was an iPod dock. Kate switched it on just to see what kind of music Eliza listened to.

The playlist contained classical music, jazz, a little country, some r&b and some pop music. A song came on that she couldn't place and had never heard before. She looked at the iPod, and it was a singer named Corey Smith, the song was "Be the Change." Kate liked it. She was getting to know Eliza Walker and Kate thought she would have liked her. She headed to the bathroom to see if Castle found anything, letting the music continue to play softly. She found him in the closet. He had his back to her and he was looking through a box of something Kate couldn't see.

"Something you want to share with the class, Castle?"

"My mother has a saying, 'Men want Emily Post in the parlor, Julia Child in the kitchen and Fredrick's of Hollywood in the bedroom. That's their idea of the perfect wife.' I'm thinking that Eliza Walker was close to that."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, we've seen the kitchen and the parlor…" He stood up and grabbed a slinky, see-through negligee off the hanger. "I imagine Henry liked this."

"Castle, they were married. And that's pretty expensive lingerie. That doesn't make her 'Fredrick's of Hollywood.'"

"Okay, but how about this?" He held up a black lace teddy and garter belt. He grinned. "And then there's this box of sex toys that I found…" He stepped to the side and let Kate have a look.

Kate stepped over and looked in the box. Nodding her head, she said, "Okay….Wow. I don't even know what…." Castle watched her cheeks turn pink. Kate Beckett blushing over sex toys? "Alright maybe she was a little slutty in the bedroom. I mean they were married for fifteen years. I guess you do whatever it takes to keep it interesting. I really don't think this is pertinent to the case though. So put it back."

"You said you wanted to know her. That's all I was doing. Trying to figure out who she is. I think that this kind of shoots a giant hole in any affair theory." Castle shoved the box back under the hanging clothes and put the lingerie back on its hangers.

"Why would you say that?"

"From my experience the sex life disappears when the wife has an affair. Appetite is gone. Men are the opposite, or so I've heard." Castle stared off into space with a serious look on his face. "When Meredith had her affair, I was always initiating and she made excuses most of the time. There was definitely nothing like this."

Kate just looked at him. Castle generally did not let his guard down and she was waiting for the punch line. When she realized that this was the truth and not a joke, Kate was stunned. So that's what happened with him and the Deep Fried Twinkie. Kate always assumed that it had been Castle who strayed. _Well you know what they say about people who assume._ "I'm sorry Castle. That must have been very difficult with Alexis."

"It was. It was even harder because she refused to try to work it out. She refused counseling. Even Alexis wasn't worth it to her to stay. I mean, don't get me wrong, she loves Alexis that just isn't who Meredith is."

_Even now he defends her. He really is a good guy under that 'bad boy' exterior._

"What? You okay, Kate? You're staring at me."

With a slight shake of her head she said, "You just surprised me, that's all."

"Yeah, well, all I'm saying is that I don't think Liza Walker was having an affair." He walked into the bedroom again with Beckett following close behind. "Oh I love this song."

Kate stopped to listen and then rolled her eyes. It was AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long." "You would love this song, Castle."

"What? You don't?"

"It's okay. Not on my iPod though."

"What is on your iPod?"

She ignored his question. Her eyes were tracking from the bed to the wall to the ceiling and back to the bed. Her expression was pained. "I just can't get it. I can't think of any motive that would suggest….I need to talk to Henry Masters. Come on Castle, let's go."

"No."

"No?"

"No. I'm not going anywhere right now except to get something to eat. It's almost six and I haven't eaten since early this morning and you haven't eaten all day. You're going to pass out if you don't eat something."

"Castle, I have gone a long time without eating before. I'll be fine." Beckett started walking towards the door.

"Well, if you're going to drive me around this city, you need to be well fed. You're not going to black out and drive us into the East River." Castle followed her.

"You can always get a cab."

"And leave you to pass out behind the wheel? Who would be your white knight? No way, I'm riding with you."

"Okay. We'll eat." Beckett said as she locked the door. "White knight, Castle? Really? You're going to save my ass?"

"Hey, that's not fair. I saved your life once. And as far your ass goes…"

"Zip it, Castle."

"You brought it up."

They rode down the elevator in silence. The case wasn't even a day old and it was already getting to them. Neither of them spoke until they were back in the car again.

"Where are we going to eat?"

"My place."

"Castle, we are not going to your place to eat."

"Why not? I made some really great chili last night. And I live not too far from here. Look, there isn't a whole lot more we can do with this case until tomorrow. We'll talk to Henry Masters and her law firm and maybe we'll find a friend of hers who can shed some light on all of this. You can call Esposito and get him to set it all up. We'll get a fresh start in the morning."

She had to admit he was probably right on every account. And with the really crappy and cold weather outside, chili sounded divine. "Okay, Castle. You win. We eat chili at your place." She almost told him no funny business, but part of her deep, down inside wished he would make a move. Kate pulled into a spot near his apartment, and they proceeded into the building, both of them trying to figure out how they were going to find this killer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes, I know it's coming really slow, and this chapter is a little shorter than the previous two, but it came to a stopping point and I could go no further. Thanks for reading!**

**Chapter 3**

When they arrived at his apartment building, Castle looked at her before she exited the car.

"Do you have spare clothes?"

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing? Is there a dress code for dining at Chez Castle?"

"No, no. It's just that you have blood on your sweater and jeans from today. I thought you might want to change. If you don't have clothes, I'm sure there's something up there you can wear."

Kate looked over her clothing and sure enough, there was blood on the sleeve of her sweater and on the hip of her jeans. It must have transferred to her when she was helping Caroline Masters. "Damn. More clothes ruined." She looked over at Castle. "I have a bag in the trunk."

"I can get the blood out of your clothes if you like. Well, definitely out of the jeans; I'm not sure about the sweater, depends on what it's made out of."

"You can get blood out of clothing? Why do you know how to do that?"

"If you tell her I told you this, well, let me just say, you think I make your life hell now? You ain't seen nothin yet."

She glared at him. "Idle threats, Castle. They won't get you anywhere."

"You will learn, detective, that my threats are never idle when they pertain to my daughter."

"The blood, Castle." She wasn't going to mention that it was against the law to threaten a police officer.

"My mother was not living with us when Alexis got her first…period. Luckily enough it was a Saturday in February and we were at home. She was wearing her favorite pair of jeans and we were watching movies. She got up to pop some popcorn. I noticed it before she did. She was mortified, even though we had already discussed it; somehow the actual event embarrassed her terribly. She was upstairs in her room for two hours. I went up to see if she needed anything. I mean, I had stocked her bathroom with what I thought she would need, but I'm a guy, so…"

Kate was fighting the smile that so desperately wanted to appear on her face. She wasn't laughing at him, quite the opposite actually. It was so cute to watch him be a dad, and uncomfortable with the conversation. Castle could talk about almost anything.

"Anyway, when I finally was able to get her to talk to me, what she was really devastated about was ruining her favorite pair of jeans. So I took them and searched the internet for a way to clean them. Found a great solution that actually makes it easier." In the dark of the car, he caught her looking at him with a face he hadn't seen before. "What?"

"That was really sweet. I don't think my dad would have done that."

"Well, like I said, if you tell her I told you…"

"Wouldn't dare."

"Thanks. I would rather chew off my right arm than embarrass her." He shook his head. "I really got lucky with her. She is nothing like me or her mother. Makes me wonder about my father," he said pensively. A dull roar erupted from Kate's stomach at that moment. "Let's go get some food in you, Beckett, before that beast escapes and devours the city."

"Thanks, Castle." She got out of the car and wrapped her jacket around her a little tighter. The snow turned sleet was stinging her face. She went around the back of the car and grabbed her "Go" bag out of the trunk.

Once in the building Kate called Esposito. "I need to see the husband first thing in the morning. I also need you to let her firm know I'm coming in the morning and I expect their full cooperation." They stepped on the elevator. Castle was being unusually considerate and quiet. Esposito asked where she was.

"Castle and I are grabbing dinner and then I'm going home. See you tomorrow."

They entered the apartment and were instantly greeted by the savory smell of chili. "What? Did you call ahead and have them get it ready for you?"

"No. I texted. I told you, I'm hungry."

"Hi Dad. Detective Beckett. Chili is reheating on the stove, and I made a salad."

"Thank you, Alexis. As always above and beyond the call of duty."

"No problem." Alexis took in her father's body language and Kate's facial expressions and in typical Castle-like fashion she drew a conclusion. "Bad case, huh?"

"Pretty terrible, yeah."

"What happened?"

"A pregnant lawyer was stabbed in her bed last night while her husband and daughter were out of town. The daughter found her this morning when they got home."

"That's awful. Do you have any leads yet?"

"No." Castle remarked dejectedly. He turned to Kate. "Let me show you the bathroom. We'll eat when you're through."

"I'm going upstairs. I have an AP Physics exam tomorrow, and I need to practice my violin."

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"I already ate. Gran is out on a date by the way. She said not to wait up." Alexis shivered theatrically.

Castle and Beckett smiled at her response.

"Oh, and a smile!" Alexis commented. "Good, my mission is accomplished." She disappeared up the stairs.

"She's a really great girl, Castle. And you are wrong about one thing."

"What's that?"

"She is like you in some ways."

"How so?"

"She is kind and considerate, and she likes to make people smile. Some of your best qualities." She looked at him sincerely and the moment became awkward.

"Well, let me show you where you can get cleaned up."

He led her down the hall through his bedroom into the bathroom. Kate looked around. _This is as big as my bedroom, if not bigger._ Castle opened a cabinet and pulled out a large white towel. He placed it on a towel warmer and turned to the door. "If you want to shower the shampoo and conditioner are in there. Soap too."

"Castle? What is that?" She was looking at the towel warmer.

"It's a towel warmer."

"A towel warmer?"

"Wouldn't you prefer a warm towel to a cold one on days like this?"

She smiled slightly and said, "Thank you Castle."

"No problem. Holler if you need anything."

Kate appeared in the kitchen twenty minutes later wearing faded jeans and a comfy Columbia sweatshirt. Her hair was still wet and all of her makeup was gone except some residual eye makeup which had a smoky look now. Her feet were bare.

They ate chili and salad and drank beer, making small talk. Castle made brownies for dessert. They ate brownies on the sofa while surfing the net for info on Eliza Walker on Castle's laptop. They found her private Facebook account and a LinkedIn site. Beckett found many briefs and reviews Eliza had done over the years. They printed out everything of interest, but nothing jumped out at them as being particularly inflammatory. Frustrated, Kate gave up on the internet search and handed Castle the laptop. He got up and returned it to the study.

"I'm heading home." Kate said from her spot on the couch. She yawned and stretched.

"Here, let me make you some coffee for the ride home. You look sleepy."

"I am. Coffee sounds great."

Castle went to the kitchen to make coffee. When he returned with the travel mug, he found Kate Beckett was asleep on his couch.

He went to work on the blood on her clothing, pulled the throw from the back of the couch over Kate, and went to bed, making sure to set the coffee maker to brew and setting his alarm.

Kate was back in the apartment looking for clues, but this time the lights were out; she used a flashlight to make her way around. Following the path the killer was sure to have taken, Beckett was heading straight for the master bedroom. As she turned the corner into the room, her heart stopped. There was someone in the bed. Her heart started pounding in her ears as she approached the sleeper. Quickly throwing the flashlight onto the bed, Kate found herself straddling the body, but instead of her gun she was holding a bloody knife. The woman's body glistened in the beam of the flashlight. Looking closer, she discovered she was looking at the face of her mother.

Johanna Beckett's eyes sprung open. Blood oozed out of her mouth as she said, "I just don't understand, Kate. This doesn't make any sense."

Kate let out a blood-curdling scream. She sat up. Sweat poured off her body and her heart pounded like it was trying to exit her chest. Opening her eyes, she didn't know where she was. The blanket was tangled around her and seemed to constrict like a python the more she tried to extract herself from it.

Lights came on from all directions and the realization hit her: she had fallen asleep on Castle's couch. She finally untangled herself, and her feet found the floor just as Castle entered the room and Alexis and Martha descended the stairs. Pacing the floor, Kate tried to calm herself.

"Kate, are you okay?" Castle approached her, reaching out his hand to calm her and make sure she was awake. She was exhibiting all of the signs of sleep terrors, and Castle knew from research that if she was part of the 2% of the adult population that suffered from them, she might be a danger to herself and anyone around her. She quelled his fears by flicking his hand away and softly saying, "Don't touch me."

Taking a few steps away, she turned and looked at him. "I just…need to be left alone for a second." _Oh God. Oh God, it's back. The nightmare is back._ Kate took deep breaths and forced her heartbeat back into a human pace and rhythm.

Martha appeared at her side with a glass of clear liquid. Kate looked at her with questioning eyes.

"It's water, dear."

"Thank you, Martha."

Martha and Alexis, realizing that Beckett was okay and there was nothing they could do, returned to bed, leaving Castle to wait for Kate to return from inside her head.

He sat on the couch, observing her. His hand rested on the damp cloth of the blanket. Looking closer he could see that Kate had been sweating profusely. Obviously, at some point during the night she removed her sweatshirt. Standing there in a black fitted tank and jeans, Castle's brain registered the rings of sweat on her clothes and the moisture in her hair. _Must have been quite a nightmare._

Looking over at the clock, Kate realized that it was three o'clock in the morning. She must have fallen asleep on the sofa. _Castle's sofa. For crying out loud, I had to have a nightmare at Castle's. Great. Bet I see this in the next Nikki Heat novel._

"I'm sorry." Clearly embarrassed, Kate began to gather up her things. "Where are my clothes?"

"Oh. Um, well, I was able to get the blood out of them, but I didn't get a chance to put them in the dryer yet."

Kate walked around the apartment. "Where is the laundry room?"

He stood to show her. "You don't have to leave, you know."

Kate sighed. "Yeah, I do. I've disturbed you and your family enough. I won't be able to get back to sleep; I might as well go home and get ready for work."

"Do you want to talk about it? It might help."

"No. It's an old dream. The scenery changes, but the characters stay the same."

"You have it every night?"

"Actually, it's been a while since I've had it. I guess this case…"

"Yeah."

Kate put on her coat and boots. "Thanks for the chili." She looked down at her feet. "Sorry about the rude awakening."

"Don't apologize." He put his hand under her chin and forced her to look at him. "You are human, Kate."

Her heart sped up again and it had nothing to do with her dream. She was looking in his eyes, and then she dropped her gaze to his lips, unconsciously moistening her own with her tongue. In a move that both relieved and frustrated her, she grabbed the door handle and opened. When her back was to him she said, "See you later, Castle."

Two hours later, when Kate arrived at the precinct, Castle was already there.

"What are you doing here?"

He wasn't in his usual spot, sitting in her chair. He was leaning up against a desk, staring at the murder board.

"Couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to see if I could make myself useful."

"Sorry."

"What did I say about apologizing?"

"Were Alexis and Martha able to get back to sleep?"

"Like babies."

"Good."

"So, what's on tap for today? We question the husband and then the lawyers?"

"Yeah, Esposito said the husband will be expecting us sometime this morning."

"We're going to him? Awesome. Road trip!"

"Is there anything that doesn't excite you?"

"Sure. Insects, snakes, shots…" She rolled her eyes

"But, when it comes to you, Detective, everything excites me."

"Really." She stated, nonplussed.

"Absolutely. You know I've never had an actual person as my inspiration for a main character before. That has to give you a clue."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

It was a two hour drive to Connecticut with the traffic. It turns out that Masters' brother was quite successful at whatever it was that he did. He had a very nice house on a couple of acres in Fairfield.

"Wow, success at every turn." Castle mused. "I guess murder really doesn't discriminate."

"No. No, it doesn't." Kate's mouth sat in a hard line as the image of her mother resurfaced from last night's horror.

Caroline Masters answered the door. She looked awful, like she hadn't slept in weeks. It had only been a day. Her face was splotchy and swollen from crying, but she was in control at the moment.

"Detectives. Do you have any information for us? Did you find him?"

Christ, she expected them to solve it in a day. _Can you blame her? Really?_

"I'm sorry, Caroline. We haven't found him yet, but we are investigating everything. And when we do find him, you'll be the first to know." Kate tried to comfort the girl. "Right now we need to talk to your Dad. We have some questions."

Caroline let them in and showed them to her uncle's study, where her father was sitting at a computer.

"Detectives." Castle was getting a kick out of people mistaking him for a detective. "What can I help you with?" Henry Masters was in better shape today, but he still had circles under his bloodshot eyes. Beckett couldn't help but wonder if alcohol was helping him out.

"Mr. Masters, we need to ask you some questions," Kate continued when Caroline made no move to leave the room, "in _private._"

"I can't stay?" Caroline asked.

"Caroline, I need to talk to them alone." Caroline gave her father a look that Castle would bet usually precipitated the outcome in her favor. "Please, Pip."

"Okay." She sulked, but closed the door.

"How can I help you?"

"I have to ask some rather personal questions, but we need to get them out of the way."

"Okay, shoot."

"The medical examiner found evidence that Eliza had sexual intercourse within 48 hours of her death. Can you explain that?"

Henry blushed a little; then tears came to his eyes as he remembered the last time he would ever make love to his wife. "Friday afternoon before Caroline came home from school. I was finished with classes at 11. Liza came home at noon. We…spent time together before I left to get Caroline." He paused, lost in his reverie. "She had been so sick with the pregnancy. She was just getting over it. It was her idea for us to meet at home. I was originally just going to pick up Caroline at school and head straight up here for the horse show."

Kate nodded, making notes in her notebook.

"Oh, God." He whimpered. "I miss her so much already. We met in college. I never could figure out how I was so lucky: an incredible, beautiful, brilliant girl falling for a guy like me." Beckett raised her eyebrows at him. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a nerd." He chuckled, self-deprecating. "How does a chemical engineering student hook up with an anthropology major anyway? She's the best thing that ever happened to me." Henry swallowed hard. "She was."

Even Castle had a lump in his throat. He knew what Kate's next question was, but he didn't want to hear it.

"Mr. Masters, is there any chance Eliza was having an affair?"

"No. I can't see her doing anything like that."

"You told detective Esposito that the pregnancy was a surprise. Why?"

"We tried to have another baby after Caroline. Liza had two miscarriages—both in the second trimester. They were very hard on both of us. The doctors said that her cervix would start dilating early, so if we wanted to do try again they would perform a cerclage, you know, stitch the cervix closed, and she would reduce her work hours. But Liza was so devastated. She said she couldn't go through that heartbreak again. She was on the pill for a while and then she had an IUD. But that only lasted for five years. Six months ago they removed it." Masters looked sheepish. "After seven years of never having to worry about birth control, well, sometimes we didn't remember in time.

"When we found out she was pregnant, we were ecstatic, but also incredibly nervous. The plan was to perform the cerclage Tuesday morning. We were going in Monday—tonight." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I guess I should call the doctor…"

"If you give me the information, I will call him for you. I need to talk to him anyway."

"Thank you. I don't know what to say yet. And then there are the looks you get…"

Beckett knew all too well what looks he was talking about. "I understand what you are going through, Mr. Masters. Thank you for speaking with me. We'll be in touch." They stood to leave.

"Thank you, detective. Please call if there is anything else I can help you with."

"We'll let ourselves out."

Castle and Beckett stepped out onto the front porch. Unlike the day before, the sky today was a cerulean blue with not a cloud in it. However, it was also bitterly cold.

"Brrr…We need to make a coffee run before we head back to the city." Castle remarked, shivering dramatically.

"Agreed."

"You'll pass Uncommon Grounds on your right, before you reach the turnpike. My mom loves their coffee." Caroline Masters was sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch in a long sleeved t-shirt and jeans. She was barefooted but didn't seem to be affected by the cold.

"Caroline, you're going to freeze out here." The father in Castle made an appearance. "You aren't wearing enough clothes."

"I'm okay." She shrugged. "I don't really feel it."

Kate walked over and squatted down next to the rocking chair. She pulled a card out of her pocket and handed it to the girl. "Caroline, I understand what you are feeling more than you know. I know this is unbelievably difficult. If you ever need to talk, my number is on this card."

"You think you know how I feel?"

Kate nodded. "I don't know exactly _how_ you feel. But I understand it."

"Sounds like semantics to me, detective." Castle grinned at the girl's extensive vocabulary. "But I don't think you can _understand_ how I feel." Tears spilled onto her already raw cheeks.

"I lost someone too." Kate Beckett commiserated. She stood and squeezed the girl's shoulder. "Don't stay out here too long."

When they got in the car, Kate turned the key. She stared out the windshield at the teenaged girl on the porch.

"You okay?" Castle studied her features carefully.

"No. But I will be when I catch the bastard that did this. And then, one day, she'll be okay too."

The drive back to the city was mostly filled with silence, but punctuated by a stop at the coffee shop Caroline mentioned. Little did they know, they would have their first lead by the end of the day.


End file.
